How to move CurseForge to a new drive

The fastest way to move CurseForge is to uninstall it from your current drive, then reinstall it on the new one — but that erases your mod list and settings. If you want to keep everything, you need to move the actual CurseForge folder before you uninstall, then point the program to that folder when you reinstall. The folder you need is usually buried inside your user profile, and moving it takes about five minutes if you know where to look.

CurseForge stores two things separately: the program itself (which is small and straightforward to replace) and your mod library, instances, and settings (which is large and worth keeping). Moving only the library means you reinstall the program fresh on the new drive but keep all your mods and configurations intact.

Key Takeaways

  • Your CurseForge library lives in a hidden folder inside your user profile, not in the Program Files folder where the program itself sits.
  • Moving the library folder to your new drive takes five minutes and preserves every mod, instance, and setting you have configured.
  • After moving the folder, you uninstall CurseForge, reinstall it on the new drive, then tell it where to find your library in the settings.
  • If you move the folder while CurseForge is running, the program will not see the change — close it completely before you start moving files.

Locate your CurseForge library folder

CurseForge stores your mods and instances in a folder called CurseForge inside your user profile, not in Program Files. On Windows, the path is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\CurseForge. The folder is not hidden by default, but it is straightforward to miss because it sits at the root of your user profile rather than inside Documents or Downloads.

To find it quickly, open File Explorer and type this into the address bar: %APPDATA%\..\Local\CurseForge. Press Enter and you will land directly in the folder. This is the only folder you need to move — everything inside it (your instances, mods, profiles, and cache) will come with it.

Before you move anything, close CurseForge completely. If the program is running, it locks files in the library folder and will not let you move them. Check your system tray at the bottom right of your screen to make sure no CurseForge process is still running.

Move the folder to your new drive

Once CurseForge is closed, right-click the CurseForge folder and select Cut (not Copy). Navigate to your new drive — for example, D:\ or E:\ — and paste the folder there. The move will take a few minutes depending on how many mods you have installed. Do not interrupt the process or unplug the drive while it is moving.

After the paste finishes, verify that the folder arrived on the new drive by opening it and checking that you see subfolders like Instances, Profiles, and Downloads. Once you confirm the folder is there and complete, you can delete the original CurseForge folder from your old drive to free up space.

Uninstall and reinstall CurseForge

Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features on Windows, find CurseForge in the list, and click Uninstall. Follow the prompts to remove it completely. This uninstalls only the program itself — your library folder on the new drive remains untouched.

read CurseForge fresh from the official Overwolf website (the company that owns CurseForge) and install it on your new drive. During installation, you can choose which drive to install it on. Pick the same drive where you moved your library folder — for example, if your library is on D:\CurseForge, install the program on D:\ as well. This keeps everything on one drive and makes the next step easier.

Point CurseForge to your moved library

When you launch CurseForge for the first time after reinstalling, it will ask you to set a library location. Instead of creating a new library, click Browse and navigate to the CurseForge folder you moved to your new drive. Select that folder and CurseForge will recognize all your instances and mods when ready.

If CurseForge does not ask you to set a library location on first launch, open Settings inside the program, find the Library or Installations section, and look for an option to change the library path. Click it, browse to your moved folder, and confirm. CurseForge will scan the folder and reload all your instances within a minute or two.

Verify your mods and instances loaded correctly

After CurseForge points to your moved library, check the Instances tab to confirm all your modpacks and instances appear in the list. Click on one and verify that the mod count matches what you remember. If a mod count shows zero or an instance appears empty, close CurseForge completely, wait 10 seconds, and reopen it — sometimes the program needs a moment to fully index the folder.

Launch one of your instances to confirm the mods load and the game starts normally. If you see missing mods or errors, it usually means CurseForge has not finished scanning the folder yet. Give it another minute and try again. If the problem persists, check that the folder permissions on your new drive allow CurseForge to read and write files — right-click the CurseForge folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab, and confirm your user account has Full Control.

What to do if something goes wrong

If CurseForge cannot find your library after you move it, the most common cause is that you moved the folder while CurseForge was still running. Close the program, verify the folder is on the new drive, and try pointing CurseForge to it again. If that does not work, restart your computer and try once more.

If an instance fails to launch after the move, the issue is usually a mod that broke during the transfer or a path that CurseForge cached before the move. Delete the instance from CurseForge (do not delete the files, just remove it from the list), then re-add it by pointing CurseForge to the instance folder on the new drive. CurseForge will rebuild the instance and usually fix the problem.

If you accidentally deleted the CurseForge folder from your old drive before confirming it arrived on the new one, you can recover it from your Recycle Bin if you deleted it recently. Right-click the Recycle Bin, select Restore, and the folder will return to your old drive. Then repeat the move process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to move CurseForge if I just want to free up space on my main drive?

Yes, moving the library folder is the only way to free up space. Uninstalling CurseForge without moving the library first will delete your mods and instances along with the program. Always move the library folder first, then uninstall.

Can I split my library across two drives?

No. CurseForge expects the entire library to be in one folder. You can have only one library location active at a time. If you want to keep some instances on your old drive and move others to a new drive, you will need to move the entire library, then manually move individual instance folders after the fact — but this is complicated and not recommended.

How long does it take to move a large mod library?

Moving speed depends on how many mods you have and the speed of your drives. A library with 50 to 100 mods typically takes 5 to 15 minutes. Very large libraries with 500+ mods can take 30 minutes or longer. Use a USB 3.0 connection if you are moving to an external drive, as USB 2.0 will be significantly slower.

Will moving CurseForge affect my game saves?

No. Game saves are stored inside the instance folder within your CurseForge library, so they move with the library. Your saves will be exactly where you left them after the move completes.

What if CurseForge still shows my old library location after I move the folder?

Close CurseForge completely, wait 10 seconds, and reopen it. If it still shows the old location, go to Settings, find the library path option, and manually browse to the new folder on your new drive. CurseForge should then rescan and update.